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RMWB to host 2018 Alberta Winter Games

Alberta Sport Connection chair John Short congratulates the RMWB on its successful bid for the 2018 Alberta Winter Games in the McMurray Experience room in Fort McMurray, Alta. on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2015. Robert Murray/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network.

In a packed room at McMurray Experience John Short, chair of the Alberta Sport Connection, congratulated the municipality for submitting a winning bid to host the regional sporting event. The games allow young athletes aged 11 to 17 years old to compete in a province-wide winter sports competition.

“We have got just exactly what council was looking for, and I know that I have got just exactly what I was looking for today,” said Mayor Melissa Blake.

Blake thanked councillors for approving the motion to bid on the Games, acknowledging she had originally voted against it. She supported it in later council votes after seeing a number of prominent citizens champion the bid.

At the time of the original bid vote, administration had been concerned there was not enough time to prepare a successful bid.

Blake also thanked the community for putting on a strong show of support for the games.

Alberta Minister of Culture and Tourism David Eggen also made an appearance via pre-recorded message, congratulating Wood Buffalo and giving his regrets for not being there in person.

The final bid package approved by council had a total budget of $6.8 million, including $2.3 million for accommodations and $1.7 million for staffing costs. Council voted 7-1 to approve the final package, with Coun. Tyran Ault voting against.

Alberta Sport will be contributing $370,000 towards the games.

“We don’t insist that they have a specific budget,” Short said. “The budgetary concerns are Fort McMurray’s concerns, not ours.”

Fort McMurray already has all the sports facilities it needs for the games, based on the requirements of the 2016 Alberta Winter Games in Medicine Hat next month.

Short said Alberta Sport has not had time to make a decision on who would host the 2017 Alberta 55 Plus Games, but would announce the winner by early February.

Wood Buffalo was pitted against one other community in its bid to host the games, but Alberta Sport CEO Lloyd Bentz would not say which one. Last year the city of Airdrie put out a public plea to show community support for its winter games bid while the Alberta Sport Connection bid committee toured through its facilities on Nov. 25.